Control mechanism



Oct. 14 1924. 1,511,495

E. H. BELDEN CONTROL MECHANI SM Filed Oct. 13 1917 311 we 11 f0 1 J3 faward h. [Fe/den fmmw Patented a. 14, 1924.

UNITED \STATES PATENT oFnca.

EDWARD H. BELDEN, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASBIGNOB, BY HESNE ASSIGNIEHTB, TO THE W'ILIJYS-OVEBLAND OOIPANY, 0F TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION 01' OHIO.

CONTROL MECHANISM.

Appllcation flled October 13, 1917. Serial 1T0. 198,520.

To all whom may concern;

Be a known that I, EDWARD H. 13mm,

Fi VI is'a perspective view of the swltc .plug.

a citizen of the United States, residing at In the drawings, similar reference nu- Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of 5 Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Control Mechanism, of which I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description. This invention relates to improvements in mechanism for controlling motor vehicles and the lighting circuit thereof.

The principal object of my invention is to provlde an improved control board which is provided with aswitch for controlling the ignition circuit and the headlight circult, so

as to dim the headlights, and with means for controllin the spark and throttle, and for choking the carburetor in starting. A further object of m invention is to provide 0 a new and improve switch for dimming the headlights, combined with means for controlling the ignition circuit. A further -object of my invention is to provide new and improved means for controllin the spark, throttle, and the carburetor cho e valve.

Further objects, and objects relating to economies of manufacture and details of construction, will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow.

80 I accomplish the objects of my invention by the devices and means described in he following specifications. My invention is clearly defined and'pointed out in the appended claims.

A structure constituting a preferred em bodiment of my. invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which Fi re I is a front plan view of a switch boar constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure II is a View in rear elevation of the control switch shown. in Fig. I, with the wiring of the ignition and lighting circuits re resented diagrammatically.

Fig. II is an enlar (1, detail, sectional view, taken substantial y on the line III- III of Fig. I.

Fig. IV is a view, in front elevation, of the switch block with the face plate removed. 4

Fig. V is a detail, fragmentary, sectional view, taken substantially on the line VV of Fig. HI, and

drawings, I have shown a control board comprising the face late 10, which is adapted to be secure to the instrument board 11,'a-nd which has secured thereto a switch block 12 made of any suitable insulating material and provided with the ears 13, through which the bolts 14 pass, securing theswitch block, to the face plate 10, and securing the whole in place on the instrument board 11. The nuts 15 are threaded on the rear ends of the bolts 14 and hold the switch block in place. The cars 13 are thicker than the body of the switch block 12, so that the chamber 16 is formed between the face plate 10 and the switch block 12, and a cylindrical recess or chamber'17 is formed in the central part of said switch block 12. A hub 18 of conducting material is journaled in an opening formed in said switch block 12, be-

lng disposed in the recess 17. A contact strip 19 is mounted on the front face of the switch block, and the upper end of said contact strip is electrically connected with a screw 21, passing therethrough and through is electrically connected with the block 18,

journaled in said switch block.

A screw 24 is mounted in the lower of the switch block 12 and has the terminal nut 25 threaded on the rear end thereof. Said bolt 24 passes through the lower end of the contact strip 27 and the latter is held in place by the nut 26, threaded on the bolt 24. Said contact strip 27 extends upwardly from the lower part of the switch block, being spaced from the body thereof, and has its upper end curved rearwardly, as shown at 28. Said contact 27 is electrically connected with the terminal bolt 24. A

1 switch plug is provided having a cylindrical 29 has a flattened portion 32, and a rein the switch.

An arm 37 is mounted on the rear face of the hub 18 and is riveted or otherwise secured thereto, so as to rotate therewith. Said arm 37 is provided with an opening, having a flattened side, through which opening the switch plug 29 may be inserted with the flattened portion 32 engagingthe flattened side of the opening 38. The hub 18 and the arm 37 carried thereby may be rotated by turning the switch plug 29. A resistance coil 39 is mounted on the rear face of the switch block 12, around the raised central hub 40 of the switch block. One end of said resistance coil passes through an opening 41 in the switch block 12 and is secured by and connected to a screw 42. The opposite end of said resistance coil passes through a similar opening 43, and is connected to a terminal 44. The lower end of the arm 37 is concave-convex in cross section, as clearly shown in Fig. V, and, when the switch plug is rotated in its bearing 31, the convex face of said arm engages the surface of the resistance coil 39, so as to make electrical contact therewith. The switch 'block has a concave seat engaged by arm 37 when in normal position.

The lower part of the face plate 10 is provided with an upwardly and forwardly extending boss 45, having bearings for three slidable plungers 46, each of which is provided with a head 47 'by means of which it ma be operated. Each plunger 46 is provi ed with a plurality of annular grooves 48 therein. A flange 49 extends downwardly and rearwardly from the boss I 45, lying above the plungers 46, and three leaf springs 50 are secured to the flange 49 by the rivets 52 and have curved forward ends 51, which "are adapted to engage and seat in any one of the grooves 48, as clearly shown in Fig. III. The rear end of the flange 49 is bent over at 53, embracing the forward ends of the tubes 54, in which the control wires 55 move. The forward end of each of said wires is bent to form a book 56, which is connected with the lower end of the corresponding plunger 46.

In the diagrammatic illustration of the wiring, shown in Fig. II, the storage battery or other source of current is represented at 57, the circuit breaker at 59, and the end of the primary winding 60 of the ignition circuit, the other end ofsaid winding being connected with circuit breaker 59.

From the description of'the parts iven above, the operation of this device shou d be very readly understood. The parts of the switch are shown in the position, in which the ignition circuit is closed and the headlight circuit is broken. The removal of the plug 29 breaks the ignition circuit, because this circuit is closed by the gontacting of the reduced end 33 of the plug with the contact arm '27, said contact arm 27 being connected through the terminal 24 with one branch of the ignition circuit, while the plug 29 is connected throu h the hub 18, stri 19 and terminal 21 wit the other brancof the ignition circuit. The unintentional removal of the plug is preventedby the-detent comprised by the spring fork 35, the spring arms of which engage in o posite sides of the groove 34, formed in t e shank 29 of the switch plug.

As I have already stated, the parts are shown in the position in which the headlight circuit is broken. When the switch plug is rotated to the left, in Fig. I, the arm 37 will be moved to the right, in Fig. II, and the headlight circuit will be closed from the wire 64, through the terminal 42, the resistance coil, and from the resistance coil through the arm 37, hub 18, strip 19, terminal 21, wire 61, battery 57, wire 62 and wire 63 to the other side of the headlights. Since the arm 37 is so disposed with reference to the resistance coil that it engages said coil very close to the end thereof,

a very small amount of said resistance coil will be included in the circuit, and therefore the lights will be bright. If the operator desires to dim the lights, this can be done by rotating the switch plug to the left, in Fig. I, so as to move the arm 37 to the right, in Fig. II, including a greater portion of the resistance coil in the circuit. The same results can be accomplished more quickly by turning the switch plug to the right, in Fig. I, which will move the arm 37 to the. left, in Fig. II, engaging the opposite end of the resistance coil 39 from that to which the circuit 64 is connected, so that practically the entire'resistance is included in the headlight circuit and the headlights will be dimmed at once. The

amount of light given by the headlight can be varied by movmg the switch plug so as to osition the arm 37 to include a eater or esser amount of resistance in the eadlight circuit and this feature of operation will be apparent from the drawing. The lower end of the arm 37 is sllfillltly concave-con-- vex in cross section, as ustrated in F1 V, and the switch block 12 is rovided wit a concave seat so as to ho] neutral position and prevents its movin out of that position except when operate I have combined with this headlight dimmin switch an engine control board, so that lioth the ignition and li htmg circuits and the spark, throttle and oke valve are controlled from the same board. The mechanism by which the spark, throttle and choke are 0 rated is the same in each case, and a description of one of thesewill sufiice. I provide plun ers 46 slidably mounted in theboss 45 on e lower part of this control board each of said plungers being adapted) to be held in any one of a plurality of positions as defined by the grooves 48. The s ring 50 serves as a detent to retain the unger 46 in. the sition to which it has en adjusted. e lower end of the plunger 46 is connected with the wire 55, the movement of the plunger bemg transmitted through the wire 55, to the proper levers for controlling the spark,,throttle or choke as the case may be.

I am aware that the particular embodiment of my invention, which I have here shown and described, is susceptible of con siderable variation without de arting from the spirit thereof, and, there ore, I desire to claim my invention broadly, as well as specifically, as indicated by the appended claims.

Havin thus described my invention. what I c aim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the class described comprising the combination of a face plate; a switch block secured thereto; a resistance coil carried b said switch block, one end of said coil ing connected with a terminal; a metallic-hub journaled in said switch block and electrically connected with a second terminal; a contact arm carried by said hub and adapted to engage said reslstance coil; a second contact arm carried by said switch block and electrically connected with a third terminal; and a switch plug insert-able through said face place, journaled therein, and having a non-rotatable connection with said hub, said switch plug being adapted to contact with said second contact arm, when inserted in ition, and being rotatable to rotate sai first-named contact arm andmove the same in contact with said resistance coil.

2. A device of the class described comthe arm inprising the combination of a face plate; a switch block secured thereto; a resistance coil carried b said switch blockyone end of said coil ing connected with a terminal; a metallic hub journaled in said switch block and electrically connected with a second termma1;.a contact arm carried by said hub; a second contact arm carried bysaid switch block and electricall connected with a third terminal; a switch plug insertable through said face plate and journaled therein, having a non-rotatable connectionwith said hub, said switch plug contacting with said second contact arm, and being rotatable to move said first-named contact arm in engagement with said resistance coil; and a detent for holding said switch plug in inserted osition.

3. A device 0 the class described. comprising the combination of a face plate; a switch block secured thereto; a resistance coil carried b said switch block; a metallic a switch plug insertable through said face plate and engaging said second contact arm to close the ignition circuit, and having a driving connection with said hub, whereby the rotatation of said switch plug moves said first-named contact arm in contact with said resistance coil to vary the amount of resistance in said headlight circuit.

4. A device of the class described, comprising the combination of a switch block; a resistance coil carried thereby; a hub journaled in said switch block, -i nition and headlight circuits including said ub; a contact arm carried by said hub and adapted to engage said resistance coil; a second contact arm carried by said switch block and connected in the ignition circuit; and a switch plug insertable in said switch block to close the ignition circuit and rotatable to vary the amount of resistance in said headlight circuit.

5. A device of the class described comprising the combination of a switch block; a resistance coil mounted thereon; a lighting circuit includin said resistance coil; a contact arm rotata ly mounted on said switch block and connected in said lighting circuit; a switch plug insertable in said block and adapted to close the ignition circuit on its 6. A device of the class described comprising the combination of a switch block headlight and ignition circuits; a resistance coil carried by said block and having one terminal connected in said headlight circuit; a contact arm rotatably mounted on said switch block and electrically connected with the headlight and i nition circuits; and a plug inserted to ma e an electrical connection between said arm and a contact to close the ignition circuit, and rotatable to carry said arm in engagement with said resistance coil to vary the amount of resistance in said circuit.

7. A device of the class described comprising the combination of an ignition circuit and a lightin circuit, a resistance coil connected in said lighting circuit, a contact arm adapted to engage said resistance coil and vary the amount or resistance in said lighting circuit, and a removable plug adapted to close the ignition circuit and at the same time operate the contact arm to vary the resistance in the llghting circuit 8. In a device of the class described comprising the combination of an ignition circuit and a lighting circuit, a switch block through which the said circuits are completed, a resistance coil carried by said block and connected with said lighting circuit, a contact armndapted to engage saidresistance coil and vary the amount of resistance in said lighting circuit, a plug insertable in said block to close the ignition circuit and at the same time operate the contact arm to vary the resistance in the lighting circuit, and means for releasably holding the lug in the-switch block.

9. A evlce of the class described comprising the combination of a multip e circuit including an ignition and a lighting circuit, a rheostat connected in said lightin circuit, and a plug detachable to open sa1d ignition circuit and rotatable to operate said rheostat.-

10. A device of the class described, comprising the combination of an ignition circuit and a lighting circuit in multiple, and means operable to vary the intensit of the lighting circuit, a ortion of sai means being detachable an forming a part of said ignition circuit.

In, testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EDWARD H. BELDEN. 

